Migration

Possessions of a German immigrant family

The Queensland population is comprised of successive waves of migrants. With the exception of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders, Queenslanders are migrants or descendents of migrants. They include the earliest British settlers and convicts, migrant labourers, Pacific Islander slaves, and a continuous flow of emigrants and refugees.

Migrants are often stereotyped as non-European, non-white, or non-English speaking. However, the dominant migrant group in Queensland is British.

Despite the infamous White Australia Policy, labour shortages forced authorities to accept migrants from beyond Britain, gradually including continental Europeans and Pacific Islanders. In our more recent times, Queensland has accepted an even more diverse range of migrants including refugees from Africa, Asia and Europe.